Genetic, psychological, social and environmental factors can impact how drinking alcohol affects your body and behavior. Theories suggest that for certain people drinking has a different and stronger impact that can lead to alcohol use disorder. Over the years, the rates of alcohol abuse and alcoholism in the US have shown significant changes.
- Globally, the age-standardized death rate has declined from approximately 40 deaths per 100,000 people in the early 1990s to 30 deaths per 100,000 in 2019.
- Of the four ways that people drink excessively, binge drinking is the most common.
- From 2016–2017 to 2020–2021, the average annual number of U.S. deaths from excessive alcohol use increased by more than 40,000 (29%), from approximately 138,000 per year (2016–2017) to 178,000 per year (2020–2021).
- With many people affected by alcohol abuse and alcoholism, it is imperative to develop and promote effective recovery treatment programs.
- The graph below illustrates the prevalence of AUD across age groups in the US.
In 2020, the rate of alcohol-induced deaths was highest for those aged 55–64 for both males and females.
We must also destigmatize AUD so those who are struggling won’t feel shame asking for help. Readers familiar with survey reports and other scientific literature are accustomed to the presentation of significance tests, or confidence intervals, on any https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/alcoholism-statistics-you-need-to-know/ data comparisons or trends. However, because data presented in this report are based on total actual sales and/or shipments, AEDS does not provide measures of statistical significance.
Prevalence of Past-Month Heavy Alcohol Use
- The charts show global consumption of spirits, which are distilled alcoholic drinks, including gin, rum, whisky, tequila, and vodka.
- Learn up-to-date facts and statistics on alcohol consumption and its impact in the United States and globally.
- Alcohol consumption – whilst a risk factor for a number of health outcomes – typically has the greatest negative impacts when consumed within heavy sessions.
There are 230 different types of diseases where alcohol has a significant role. It also causes harm to the well-being and health of people around the drinker. In 2019, the worldwide total consumption was equal to 5.5 litres of pure alcohol per person 15 years and older. Unrecorded consumption accounts for 21% of the worldwide total consumption. Per capita ethanol consumption rates for each beverage type are calculated by multiplying national, State, or regional beverage volume by the corresponding ABV and dividing by the national, State, or regional population ages 14 and older.
Impact on your health
Although those in lower income or educational status groups often drink less overall, they are more likely to have lower-frequency, higher-intensity drinking patterns. Overall, these groups drink less, but a higher percentage will drink heavily when they do. This pattern of drinking is often termed ‘binging,’ where individuals consume large amounts of alcohol within a single session versus small quantities more frequently. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Factors affecting alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm
MMWR and Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report are service marks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Use of trade names and commercial sources is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. References to non-CDC sites on the Internet are provided as a service to MMWR readers and do not constitute or imply endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the U.S. All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest.
- Theories suggest that for certain people drinking has a different and stronger impact that can lead to alcohol use disorder.
- Questions or messages regarding errors in formatting should be addressed to
- These factors are discussed in detail in the AEDS data reference manual on per capita alcohol consumption (Nephew et al. 2004).
- This interactive chart shows the average share of household expenditure that is spent on alcohol.
Nonetheless, it is important to note that these data are still only estimates and may be subject to reporting error and random fluctuation over time. The map shows the share of all road traffic deaths attributed to alcohol consumption over the national legal limit for alcohol consumption. It’s estimated that globally, around 1 percent of the population has an alcohol use disorder. At the country level, as shown in the chart, this ranges from around 0.5 to 5 percent of the population.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Sources of alcoholic beverages sales Alcoholism Statistics and shipment data by State and beverage type, 2021. Measuring the health impact by mortality alone fails to capture the impact that alcohol use disorders have on an individual’s well-being. The ‘disease burden’ – measured in Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) – considers mortality and years lived with disability or health burden.
Adam Sherk reports institutional support from the Canadian Cancer Society and Canadian Institutes for Health Research. Total per capita consumption of gallons of ethanol by State, United States, 2021. Whilst the World Health Organization (WHO) and most national guidelines typically quantify one unit of alcohol as equal to 10 grams of pure alcohol, the metric used as a ‘standard measure’ can vary across countries. We also find correlates in drinking patterns when we look at groupings of income, education or work status.
Other ways to get help include talking with a mental health professional or seeking help from a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous or a similar type of self-help group. Alcohol use disorder is a pattern of alcohol use that involves problems controlling your drinking, being preoccupied with alcohol or continuing to use alcohol even when it causes problems. This disorder also involves having to drink more to get the same effect or having withdrawal symptoms when you rapidly decrease or stop drinking.